LIVING WORDS
[compiled by Martin Tunnicliffe under the auspices of the FCP Council]
Issue Number 13
November 2014
A Rare Archive
At the July meeting of our FCP Council this year, I produced a precious document to add to
the Fellowship archives. It has an unprepossessing appearance: a small, pocket-sized cheap
notebook showing signs of much fingering, grey and grubby. Inside, most of the pages are
covered in small, spidery but legible handwriting, a hand very familiar to me. Each doublepage spread is numbered in sequence 1 to 31, representing days in the month. Each ‘day’
contains about fifteen Biblical quotations. This means that there are about 465 quotations
in all. Reading them, it becomes apparent that they are all Dominical Sayings, words from
God cast in the first person.
This little book was given to me by our founder Robert Coulson when I took over as General
Secretary of the Fellowship in 1987. “This is my Divine Vocabulary,” he told me. Then he
added disarmingly, “My eyesight isn’t much good these days so you may as well have it.
Anyway (he added) I know them all by heart.” I found myself at a loss for words (in a
manner of speaking!).
At the July meeting, the Council members were fascinated, as I had been, not only at the
book itself as a kind of window into the heart of Robert’s spirituality, but at the selection of
Sayings that he had made. In among the many familiar ones are some that we personally
would find challenging, of not impossible, to use in our contemplative prayer time: for
example:
I will visit upon you the evil of your doings (Jer 23.2 RV)
I groan under the burden of you (Amos 2.13 NEB)
I have made thee small…thou art greatly despised. The pride of thine heart hath deceived
thee (Obadiah 2.3 RV)
This led to our reflecting on the undoubted fact that we have a tendency to select for
contemplative prayer Sayings that afford us a measure of comfort and security, such as :
I am with you always (Matthew 28.20)
Abide in me and I in you (John 15.4)
I will never leave you nor forsake you (Joshua 1.5)
I am the Lord who heals you (Exodus 15.26)
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Yet God’s Word in Scripture is continually conveying messages that chide, challenge and
disturb. God who is all-goodness is not sparing when it comes to rebuking even those
whom he chooses and loves. The over-arching message of salvation which is the Bible’s
principal and glorious theme is balanced by innumerable expressions of divine indignation,
anger, punishment and retribution directed against human sinfulness and rebellion. Just
open at random any of the books of the Prophets or dip into Revelation. We rightly rejoice
to hear the “comfortable words”. Should we not also be hearing and receiving some of
those un-comfortable words that come from the Divine source?
Having pondered over this, I found myself being led into exploring what for me has been
little-known territory in the practice of contemplative prayer. I want to share this
exploration more widely with other Fellowship members and friends, not simply as a
matter of information, but with the suggestion that you might join me in a journey. Perhaps
also you may be able to share your experience in due course with others, in conversation or
by letter or email, if you discover something that you think we may all find valuable.
I came across this Saying in the prophet Micah (6.13 NRSV):
I have begun to strike you down, making you desolate because of your sins.
It is a severe Saying, though by no means as strong and angry as many similar utterances to
be found in the prophetic writings. I began to use it in my contemplative prayer at a time
when world events were particularly distressing and at the same time I was trying to cope
with various personal difficulties. This combination seemed to lay a heavy weight on my
soul. I set aside my first instinct which was to choose a more positive and “comfortable”
Word as a support to lean on: perhaps My peace I give to you, or, I am your salvation, or, I
am the good shepherd. Then I began to think along different lines. When a young person
feels hurt and perhaps humiliated, they may turn to a parent or other adult for consolation.
But there are times when a wise adult will refuse to respond with an outward show of love
and affection, but will say: “Sorry chum. Your problem. You sort it.”
At the time of writing, I am still trying to “sort it” by plodding on with the Word spoken
through Micah. Reading the whole chapter, particularly verse 8, has been helpful. But I
offer no further comment, hoping that others might follow this line and see where it goes.
To that end, you will see that I have included this Word in Sayings for Stillness for March
(2015). If you are going to use it at all, then Lent seems to be the right season to do so.
+++++++++++++++++
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FIAT by Bonnie Thurston *
There comes from nowhere
with no connection
to the present moment
or circumstance
a wave of sadness
abrupt and acute
as a paper cut,
making eyes tear,
the breath tense,
as if a telegram brought
some terrible news,
or a phone call
announced a tragedy.
This momentary mourning
is unmoored, unrelated
to personal circumstance,
one’s pain, perplexity,
slings and arrows.
It is life’s great
free floating sorrow,
the desperate keening
of a broken world,
its unborn dying,
its causeless martyrs,
all that suffers alone
and unlamented.
Perhaps aspiring
to soothe the universe,
one can accept it simply,
live it secretly,
this mysterious vocation
to help God bear
unimaginable burdens.
Unlike conscripted
Simon of Cyrene,
one can voluntarily
carry this concealed cross
and, trembling, trudge
toward resurrection.
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The uncomfortable pew
Over the years I have come across FCP members who have parted company with their
church. Up to a point, I can sympathise. In many instances, these folk have come to a
deeper and clearer understanding of the life of the spirit through contemplative prayer. As
a result, they have experienced a profound dissatisfaction with their local church. It appears
to them that most of the other churchgoers are superficially engaged in so many things that
don’t really matter. Loyal as they are in Sunday worship, the congregation by and large
seem unable to grasp the value of that deeper relationship with God (I AM) which
contemplatives discover and value in the prayer of silence. In some cases, the only
resolution of this problem for some FCP members has been to leave the church and plough
a lonely furrow, possibly compensating for the loss by attending a Prayer Group or Quiet
Day or Retreat.
I think, however, that there is a danger in this. The FCP is decidedly not an alternative
church. It was founded and developed well within the context of the Church of England. It is
true to say that the founder, an ordained priest, did have misgivings about the church and
the shallowness of its spirituality. Nevertheless, the Fellowship’s clear intention has always
been to remain a servant of the Church, much as the Franciscans, or the Church Army, or
the Missionary Societies are servants of the Church. Over the years, we have learnt what
this means ecumenically, so that, for us, denominational labels do not count. We are also
encouraged to learn the more difficult lesson of how to share our vision with people of
other faiths.
The fact remains that, however trying it may be in individual circumstances, it is vital that
Fellowship members should retain close and sacramental links with a church in their
locality. In the old days, people routinely attended their parish church or nearest chapel.
These days most worshippers have more choice, and it is probably wise to choose a church
where you feel the least uncomfortable. This may sometimes be spiritually irksome, but our
task is partly to strengthen and renew the Church from within as an integral part of the
Body of Christ who are “MY People, which I formed for Myself, that they might show forth
My praise” (Jeremiah 31.14 & Isaiah 43.21). The irksomeness is really part of the price we
must pay as a result of our own contemplative calling. We may consider it as a test of our
own faithfulness to our Lord as well as a stimulus for our intercession.
----------------------------*The Revd. Prof. Bonnie Thurston. Retired Prof. of Theology living in W. Virginia. USA.
Author of books on the New Testament and of two volumes of poetry.
-------------------------Living Words appears under the direction of the FCP Council, but I am entirely responsible for the
contents. Any comments or any queries, please feel free to write or email me:
The Revd Canon Martin Tunnicliffe, 202 Ralph Road, Solihull, West Midlands,
B90 3LE .
tunnicliffe@tmartin7.orangehome.co.uk
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